Vanuatu

 Welcome to Vanuatu!  The pictures of this country look amazing...and hot...It looks incredible.  Vanuatu is located in the South Pacific, and is a country made of 83 different islands.  There is a lot of volcanic activity in these islands, great snorkeling, and what looks to be a relaxing destination.  According to Google, the population of Vanuatu is 327,777 people and the capital is Port Vila.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Lap Lap!

Lap Lap is a meal that is made in banana leaves and steamed.  It has many different types (chicken, veggie, fish, etc) and is full of veggies.  To go with the lap lap, I made coconut sweet potato soup with spicy shrimp and mango ice cream. We invited some Fantastic Friends for a meal, and had a great time.  Here's what I did:

LAP LAP

Lap Lap 

2 large banana leaves
3 cups coconut milk

2 cassava roots, peeled and grated

2 taro roots, peeled and grated
4 plantains, peeled and grated
Salt to taste

2 C spinach

 

Chicken

1 large banana leaf 

8 chicken thighs
Juice of 1 lime
Avocado oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1.5 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1 jalapeño
2 cloves garlic

Sauce

5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp thinly sliced ginger
Juice and zest of 2 small limes
1 tbsp flour
200 ml coconut milk
2 spring onion, finely sliced
Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 356 F.
2. Lay one banana leaf in a casserole dish.
3. Cover banana leaf and casserole dish with grated cassava root, taro root, and plantains (keep them in separate piles) and pour 100ml of coconut milk over the piles. 
4. Season heavily with salt and pepper. 
5. Place the spinach on top of the cassava, taro and plantains.
6. Pour 100ml of coconut milk over everything again, and cover with another banana leaf and cover with foil.
7. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl.
8. Grind spices in a mortar & pestle then add chili and garlic and grind together to form paste.
9. Add lime juice and oil to the paste then pour over and coat chicken pieces completely (I had to use my hands to mix the chicken and the marinade).
10. Place chicken in a roasting dish, on top of a banana leaf.
11. Put both the lap lap and chicken in the oven to roast for 40 minutes. 
12. After 40 minutes remove the foil and top banana leaf off the lap lap and roast for a further 20 minutes.
13. Remove the chicken when it is cooked through.
14. To make the sauce, place a tablespoon of oil in a pan with the ginger and garlic over a low heat.
15. Cook for several minutes then add the flour to form a paste and cook for a few more minutes.
16. Add the coconut milk, lime juice and zest and spring onions and cook for 10 minutes over a low heat.
17. Season with salt and pepper.
18. To serve, dish up a little bit of everything, and put the sauce over the chicken.
19. Enjoy!

(Source: Lap Lap and Lap Lap)

 

COCONUT SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH SPICY SHRIMP

Spice Mix
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

For The Soup
1 tsp avocado oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
6 C chicken broth

3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

13 1/2-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh spinach, for garnish

1 1/2 lb shrimp

1. Mix spices in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. 
3. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until translucent. 
4. Add sweet potatoes and broth, bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. 
5. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
6. Puree the soup using an immersion blender. 
7. Once the soup is pureed and in the pot, add the coconut milk, lime juice, salt and cayenne. 
8. Stir to combine. 
9. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
10. Set aside, covered, while you cook the shrimp.
11. Put shrimp in a mixing bowl, pour the spice on top and toss to coat. 
12. Skewer the shrimp on to kabobs.
13. Grill over high heat for 2 minutes per side.
14. Heat the soup gently, if need be, until it's hot. 
15. Ladle soup into shallow bowls. 
16. Place 3-4 shrimp in each bowl and add a small pile of shredded spinach to the center of each bowl. 
17. Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Spicy Shrimp) 

 

MANGO ICE CREAM

2 C mango pulp

6 oz mango, diced

1 1/2 C sugar

1 C milk

1 1/2 C evaporated milk

4 eggs

3 tbsp lime juice

1. Place the mixing drum of your ice cream maker in the freezer until ready to make the ice cream. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add milk, evaporated milk, and lime juice until well combined.
4. Slowly fold in the mango pulp and diced mango. 
5. Refrigerate overnight.
6. About 40 minutes before you are ready for your ice cream, put the ice cream mixture into the frozen drum of the ice cream maker.
7. Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker and make the ice cream.
8. Enjoy!

 (Source: Mango Ice Cream)

 

The verdict?  This meal was OK.  I had higher hopes for it.  The lap lap was very bland - we found ourselves salting it quite a bit.  We also found that parts of it were cooked very well and had a lot of flavor from the coconut milk, and other parts of it were very dry.  I think If I were to make it again, I would add more coconut milk.  The chicken was interesting.  Again, it didn't really have very much flavor.  The sauce on the chicken didn't seem to fit.  I wouldn't bother making the sauce.  The soup was very good, but eating it on a warm day seemed wrong.  It had really good flavor!  The shrimp was spicy, but fit really nicely with the coconut and sweet potato flavors.  The ice cream was very good.  I think in the future, having a creamy mango ice cream would be better than the pulp and diced mangoes that make it a very chunky ice cream, but the flavors were very good.

 

      

 

 

ME

Taste of Lap Lap (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Lap Lap (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

ME

Taste of Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Spicy Shrimp (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 3

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Spicy Shrimp (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 2

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

ME

Taste of Mango Ice Cream (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Mango Ice Cream (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

Stay tuned for Senegal, our next country!

 

 

Ghana

 Welcome to Ghana!  My Courageous Coworker currently has an exchange student from Ghana, so I thought it would be fun to make this meal.  Then, come to find out, that my massage therapist's wife is from Ghana!  So we spent my 90 minute massage talking about food - I left hungry...Haha!  According to Google, the population of Ghana is 33.79 million people and the capital is Accra.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Fufu!

Sound familiar?  However, in looking at recipes, this fufu was different from other fufu's that I have made.  To go with the fufu I made peanut soup.  We've also had peanut soup before (thank you Africa!) and I remember it being so strange to make, but actually very good.  Fufu is an interesting thing, as you eat it with your hands and dip it in the soup.  Who doesn't like eating soup with their hands?!  Anyway, this was a simple meal - here's what I did:

FUFU

4 un-ripened plantains
1 lb cassava
1 1/2 C + 3Tbsp water, divided

1. Peel the plantain and cut it into cubes. 
2. Peel and scrape the cassava, de-string it and also cut into cubes.
3. Place the cassava and plantain into the blender.
4. Add 1 1/2 C water and blend the ingredients into a smooth paste.
5. Heat the paste in a saucepan over medium heat. 
6. Stir constantly with a wooden spatula for 8 to 10 minutes to remove any lumps.
7. Add 3 tbsp of water to the mixture.
8. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a lid and steam for another 8 to 10 minutes.
9. Increase the heat to medium setting and stir. The fufu might look too soft, but it will become firmer as it cools down.
10. Transfer the fufu into a bowl and sprinkle one teaspoon of water on the surface to prevent forming a film. Let it cool completely.
11. Enjoy with stew!

(Source: Fufu) 

 

PEANUT SOUP

1 chicken, deconstructed
1 tbsp of peanut oil
3 sprigs of thyme
2 onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 habanero pepper, chopped
Juice of  half a lemon
1 C of smooth peanut butter
1 small can of tomato paste
2 C chicken stock
1-2 C water

Salt

1. Chop chicken into large chunks. 
2. Heat a large frying pan to medium high. 
3. Place thyme in a big pot. 
4. Quarter and slice one of the onions.
5. Add a tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and fry the chicken, skin side only, until the skin is golden and crispy.  
6. Once skin is golden and crispy, add to the big pot with the thyme. 
7. When all the chicken has been fried, add and fry the sliced onion. 
8. Add the onion to the pot. 
9. Add 1 C of the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
10. Chop up the other onion roughly and blend with the ginger, garlic, habanero, lemon juice and the rest of the stock. 
11. Add this to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
12. Add the peanut butter, tomato purée and 1 C of water and simmer for 40 minutes.
13. Serve with fufu and enjoy!

(Source: Peanut Soup) 

 

The verdict?  This was good!  I didn't think I was going to like the fufu, because I don't like plantains.  But I really couldn't taste the plantains, and the fufu helped mellow out the spice of the soup.  It was quite spicy!  I've always thought that peanut butter and chicken are such an odd combination, but it really does work.  I've always enjoyed it when I eat it.  The soup was spicy, so if you don't have fufu to eat with it, I would make some rice to help mellow it out.  Overall, though, a very good dish!

 

      

 

ME

Taste of Fufu (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Fufu (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

ME

Taste of Peanut Soup (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 5

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Peanut Soup (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 4

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

Join us next time in Vanuatu!

 

 

Cyprus

 Welcome to Cyprus!  This looks like a fun place to visit - maybe one day!  It has some history with Greek mythology, has some beautiful mountains, beaches and trees (at least from the pictures...).  According to Google, the population of Cyprus is 1.3 million people and the capital is Nicosia.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Magarına Bulli!

It is a chicken and pasta dish with cheese.  I didn't think there was much to this meal, and there really wasn't.  To go with the magarina bulli, we made Monugra, which is a fermented cauliflower.  Believe me, I had my doubts.  We had to start a week and a half ahead while making this meal, since the cauliflower needed time to ferment. When making the magarina bulli, the recipe made me laugh - you have to go read it - he did a great job!  Here's what I did:

MAGARINA BULLI

1 whole chicken
2 lemons
1/2 block of halloumi, grated
1 box gluten-free penne pasta

Chicken broth, to cook the pasta in
A handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

A handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves of garlic
2 springs fresh rosemary
Salt, pepper, paprika, to taste
Glug of olive oil

1. Roughly chop a whole onion and two cloves of garlic. 
2. Place half of this into the cavity of the bird, filling it firmly. 
3. Slice the lemon in half and use that as a cork for the large hole. 
4. Place the remainder of the onion and garlic in the bottom of the roasting pan. 
5. Oil your bird then season with salt, pepper and paprika. 
6. Tuck the rosemary springs down by his legs or into the neck cavity. 
7. Put the chicken in an oven heated to 356 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes or until the juices run clear when you test the meat.
8. Allow the chicken to rest once it is taken out of the oven.
9. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add pasta. 
10. Cook the pasta until tender, but not too soft.
11. Dish up your pasta, retaining the stock-infused cooking water, of which you should add a splash to each dish for flavor. 
12. Sprinkle the grated halloumi across the pasta and top with your carved chicken. 
13. Pile on your fresh mint and parsley and dress with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
14. Enjoy!

(Source:  Magarına Bulli)

MONUGRA

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 C warm water
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 cauliflower

8 cups water
3 tbsp white mustard seeds

1/4 C red wine vinegar
Salt

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water.
2. Add remaining water, flour and 1 tsp of salt in a large glass mixing bowl. 
3. Stir until combined and smooth.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave for 3 days to ferment.
5. Cut cauliflower into florets.
6. Half fill a large pot with water and add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil.
7. Add the cauliflower, return to a boil then take cauliflower out with a slotted spoon. 
8. Place immediately into a bowl of cold water and drain in colander. 
9. Separately, bring 8 cups of water to a boil.
10. Let the water cool a little then gradually pour in the fermented dough, stirring well to form a thin milky liquid.
11. Add red wine vinegar to liquid and stir.
12. Pound mustard seeds in a mortar just enough to crack them. 
13. Sprinkle a little in the base of a large sterilized glass jar.
14. Place some cauliflower florets in the jar and sprinkle more mustard seeds. 
15. Repeat till all the cauliflower and mustard seeds are used.
16. Pour milky liquid over contents, covering cauliflower completely. 
17. Cover with lid or plastic wrap.
18. Each day for 8 days, turn cauliflower with your hand while stirring the milky liquid.
19. When you serve, drizzle good quality olive oil and a dash of salt.

(Source: Monugra) 

The verdict?  There really wasn't anything special about this dish.  We enjoyed the mint in the pasta, but other than that, it was just pasta and chicken.  The penne were hard to eat as a whole - I think a smaller pasta would be better for this meal.  I was not a fan (at all) of the monugra.   It did not taste good at all.  Handsome Husband said he would eat it, but I would not recommend making it.  Not a hard dish to make, but nothing super about it either.

      

ME

Taste of Magarına Bulli (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Magarına Bulli (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

ME

Taste of Moungra (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 1

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Moungra (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

We are trucking through these countries!  Join us next time in Croatia! 

 

Bahrain

 Welcome to Bahrain!  It took a while for me to get straight that Bahrain was not in Africa, but instead is in the Middle East!  Not only is it in the Middle East, but it is considered West Asia!  Good grief, I'm turned around.  Bahrain is the third smallest country in Asia.  According to Google, the population is 1.58 million people and the capital is Capital Governorate.  Their national dish is...

 

Chicken Machboos!

We had something very similar in Qatar, so it was familiar!  Luckily I already had one of the strange seasonings mixed (thank you Qatar!), so it made the whole preparation a little easier.  The chicken machboos was a one-pot-wonder, which was nice and easy!  To go with the chicken machboos, we made an onion-lentil dish and dakous, which is like a Middle-Eastern salsa.  It was a time-consuming meal to make, but honestly pretty easy.  Here's what I did:

CHICKEN MACHBOOS

2 large onions, diced
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp baharat
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 whole chicken, pieced apart
1 jalepeño, seeded and diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
5 large cloves or garlic, minced
2 large roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2-3 dried limes (loomi), several holes punched throughout each one
5 green cardamom pods

1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 stick cinnamon (about 2 inches long)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 C chicken broth
2 C  rice (soaked for at least 15 minutes, then rinsed and drained)
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Mint leaves, to taste
Rosewater for sprinkling

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces on both sides until the skin is brown and crispy. 
2. Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave the remaining oil in the Dutch oven
3. Add the butter, reduce the heat to medium, and fry the onions until starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.
4. Add the ginger, garlic, and jalepeño and saute for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute.
6. Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven along with the tomatoes, dried limes, cardamom pods, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. 
7. Add the chicken broth and stir to combine. 
8. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour. 
9. Add the cilantro, parsley and drained rice and stir to combine. 
10. Return it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is done and has absorbed the liquid.
11. Transfer the chicken and rice to a serving dish, and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons of rosewater.
12. Add some cilantro, parsley, and mint leaves as a topping. 
13. Enjoy! 

(Source: Chicken Machboos and Chicken Machboos)

 

ONION-LENTIL MIX

2 tbsp avocado oil

1/2 onion, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced 

1/2 C lentils

Handful of raisins

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil the lentils until they are cooked.
2.  In a pan, add oil and fry the onion and bell pepper until dark and caramelized.
3.  Drain the lentils and add to the onion and bell pepper mix.
4. Serve and enjoy!

(Source: Onion-Lentil Mix)

 

 DAKOUS

1 tbsp avocado oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeños, deseeded  and chopped

2 large tomatoes

1/2 tbsp chicken bullion

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp pepper

Salt, to taste

1. Heat the oil in a pan and saute onions, garlic, jalapeños, and red bell pepper until soft.
2. Blend the tomatoes and pour into the onion mixture and mix well.
3. Add the bullion, chili powder, pepper, and salt.
4. Let this boil for about 45 minutes.
5. Serve with lentils and rice.

(Source: Dakous) 

 The verdict?  This was a good meal! We liked it better than Qatar, but not sure why.  The dakous was spicy - very spicy.  It matched very well with the lentils, which didn't have much spice at all!  The chicken machboos was very good, and had the right amount of flavor.  The mint leaves on it was a very nice touch - it made it more fresh and less heavy.  All in all, a good meal!

 

ME

Taste of Chicken Machboos (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Chicken Machboos (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

ME

Taste of Onion-Lentil Dish (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 3

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Onion-Lentil Dish (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

ME

Taste of Dakous (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 6

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Dakous (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 3

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

Join us next time in Cypres!

 

 

Guinea-Bissau

 Welcome to Guinea-Bissau!  We actually did this country a few weeks ago...things get busy, you know?   Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa.  It was colonized by the Portuguese, and the official language is Portuguese, but only about 14% of the population speak Portuguese! The majority of the population speaks a Portuguese-based Creole language.  They are also the sixth largest producers of cashews!  According to Google, the population is 2.15 million people and the capital is Bissau.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Jollof  Rice!

We've had this before in another African country, and it really is good.  To go with the rice, we made Poulet Yassa, which is a chicken dish.  There were a lot of hot peppers in this dish, so I was a little nervous about eating it.  It was a fairly easy meal to make, which was nice for a weeknight.  Here's what I did:

JOLLOF RICE

2 C rice
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 habañero pepper, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp curry powder
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil for cooking

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear and set aside.
2. Blend the tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and habañero into a smooth paste.
3. Heat some oil in a pot and add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
4. Add the blended tomato mixture to the pot along with thyme, curry powder, and salt.
5. Let this simmer on medium heat until it reduces and thickens.
6. Add the rinsed rice to the pot and stir well so that each grain is coated in sauce.
7. Cover with broth or water—just enough to cover the rice—and let it cook on low heat until tender.
8. Enjoy!

(Source: Jollof Rice) 

 

POULET YASSA

1 chicken, skin removed and cut up into 8 pieces

5 large onions, cut in halves and then thinly sliced

1/2 C lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 C plus 1 tbsp avocado oil
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp Dijon mustard 
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp red chili powder
1 habañero pepper, minced
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 C chicken broth

1.  In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces, onion slices, bay leaf and habañero. 
2. Mix together the quarter cup of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, pepper, and salt, then pour this marinade over the chicken and onions. 
3. Coat well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight.
4. When ready to cook, remove the bowl from the fridge half an hour before you begin. 
5. Separate the chicken pieces out of the rest of the marinade.
6. Heat the 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and then add the chicken pieces, brown them on both sides for just a few minutes per side. 
7. Remove on to a plate and set aside. 
8. In the same pan, add the onion slices (leaving the liquids in the bowl to be used later) and fry until they are caramelized. 
9. Add the browned chicken pieces back in along with the reserved marinade liquid and the chicken stock or water. 
10. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is almost all gone and the chicken is tender and cooked through. 
11. Taste and adjust the seasoning. 
12. Serve and enjoy!

(Source: Poulet Yassa) 

 

The verdict?  This was a spicy meal, but not overpowering like I thought it would be. It had a lot of flavor, and was really good as leftovers.  We found that both dishes needed more salt than called for in the recipe.  If I were to make the chicken again, I wouldn't break down a chicken and cook it with the skin and bones; I would use boneless, skinless chicken.  I didn't think it added anything extra.  Overall, a really fun and tasty meal!

 

 

 

ME

Taste of Jollof Rice (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7 

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 1

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Jollof Rice (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 2

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

ME

Taste of Poulet Yassa (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7 

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 1

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Poulet Yassa (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 1

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

Join us next time in Timor-Leste!